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The threat comes from the Government’s promise to offer 30 hours of free childcare to working parents of children aged three and four. While the Government is providing funding for two years, there is no guarantee of funding after that - which means nursery schools would have to meet the cost themselves.

The National Association of Headteachers says Birmingham’s nursery schools face massive cuts with funding per hour almost cut in half.

The Birmingham Mail has learned that Education Ministers are to meet the heads of four Birmingham nursery schools, Castle Vale Nursery School & Children’s Centre; Featherstone Nursery School & Children’s Centre; Marsh Hill Nursery School, and Osborne Nursery School, to discuss their concerns.

It follows lobbying from Birmingham MP Jack Dromey (Lab Erdington) who has been pushing the government to reconsider its funding scheme.

Valerie Daniel, Head teacher at Washwood Heath Nursery School in Birmingham said she was “very worried” about the proposed funding plan.

She said: “We see in Birmingham the positive impact maintained nursery schools make, in particular to the most disadvantaged children.

“The government seems to recognise the quality of early years education such settings provide, but has no plans to secure their future beyond the two years of transitional funding set out.

“This will lead to a massive loss for nursery schools, with larger settings potentially losing more than £200,000 from their current budgets, which have already been hit by local budget cuts.

“I fear that a significant loss to maintained nursery budgets will create a ripple effect on safeguarding the most vulnerable children in the region.”

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Headteachers, said: “We support the government’s aim to offer more hours of free childcare to families that need that kind of extra help. We also applaud any focus on early years education as the best way to help children make a good start in life. However, the government has ignored the fact that early years settings come in all shapes and sizes and some have legitimately higher costs than others.”

He added: “There is additional funding available, but only for two years. After that point, England’s nursery schools will cease to be financially viable.

“The thirty hours offer will be doomed before it even gets started, additional places won’t materialise and current places will be lost as nursery schools across England close their doors for good. The government has the data – it must rethink before thousands of families, many in the poorest areas of the country, are left high and dry.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: "Our proposals for supplementary funding, which takes account of maintained nursery schools’ current funding rates, are for at least two years.

"This extra funding will provide stability for nursery schools, which make a valuable contribution to improving the lives of some of our most disadvantaged children. The funding is part of our record investment in early years – £6 billion per year by 2020. We will be consulting with the maintained nursery schools’ sector on future funding in due course."